The last song

Winter… 1st movement… I can still hear it as clearly as the first time I heard it.

Why is everything in a dark and light blue tint? It’s night. The moonlight is so bright it’s making this dark room blue. Why am I on the floor? I must have fallen, hit my head and passed out. It sure is cold. The music is suitable. A dark and cold room. Just like winter.

- Hmmm. Music?

A voice! I’m not alone. Maybe they can help me.

- Where is…? Here you are! What are you doing on the floor? Oh…

Hel… why are my lips no moving? I can’t talk! What is happening? Help! Help!

- Where is that music coming from? Nobody told there could be music.

She can hear it! Must be my phone. I use the 1st movement as my midnight practice alarm. Why is a girl at midnight in my apartment? Doesn’t matter. If she can find my phone  I can type my answers.

- Sounds like it’s coming from you. Oops! You’re still on the floor. Silly me. Sorry about that. I’m still 'technically' new to the job.

Blue hair. A blue haired girl is in my apartment. Did she do this to me? Did I pick up a blue haired girl and not remember her? Should probably get myself up before I embarrass… I can’t move. I CAN’T MOVE! I'm paralyzed! No! No! NO!

- Damn you’re so heavy. You must be fresh. I mean… Sorry, sorry. I mean it didn’t happen to long ago. I might be a little too early. Let me check

Fresh? Heavy? Too early? Too early for what? Are trying to steal things from my apartment? Please call for help and take anything you want. Anything, except my…

- Your hands are so soft. They feel so gentle it’s kinda sad. Except for the fingertips. They’re harder, rougher, like you… Oh my God! You’re a musician! My first musician. Coooool.

She’s so… simple minded… and innocent like a child full of wonder.  I am starting to think she didn’t have nothing to do with what happened with me. 

- Let me guess. You must play the tuba or trumpet. No that’s not it. I know! The saxophone!

There’s no doubt about it. The only way she could have done this is by accident, as in one of the classic physical comedy films. Probably threw a banana peel near my door, I slipped and hit my spine on something.

- What if the song that keeps playing is related to the instrument you play? What I hear the most is viol… VIOLIN! You play the violin!

I was not expecting that. There may still be hope for you  blue haired girl. You sure are full of surprises.

- Why would someone stab a violinist? Especially a young one. 

Stab? Did she say stab? Someone stabbed me? That means I am currently dead. But that can’t be possible. I am conscious, I can think, I can see her, I can hear her and I can hear the… The music. The music without a source, that keeps repeating over and over. Is… is this what happens when you die? You hear music and what happens around you?

- You’ve bleed out, there’s no pulse. I don’t get it. You’re dead and your soul should be out your body, ready to go into the light. I guess there’s no other choice. I’m sorry. This is embarrassing, but I have to check the manual. Just give one sec.

The manual? You have a manual? Who are you mystery girl?

- By the way, I’m Emily the reaper. I mean the grim angel guide, I mean I am Emily, the angel of death, the grim reaper and I guide the souls of the dead towards the afterlife.

The blue haired girl is personification of death and it’s called Emily. A lot of people would truly be shocked to find this out. She doesn’t look the same as the paintings, but she did say she was new. Even the afterlife has heard of rebranding.

- Let’s see… Acorn… agent… apartment…butter. Too fa. Armadillo… Here it is! Artist. Depending on the amount of dedication to his craft, a part of an artist’s soul may be imbued inside his object of practice and may only be able to go into the light after the two are reunited as one. The parts will act as a beacon, continuously emanating the craft in perfect synchronicity.

My violin. My first and only violin. The one I got for Christmas from my mom after we went to the philharmonic. I still remember listening to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The violin solo during Winter 1st movement mesmerized me and made me want to be on that stage and mesmerize other people as well. And the song, it must be how the violin is calling out to me. Please find it.

- Should be around here. I’m getting this double stereo effect in the this apartment. Let’s see… pizza boxes, sheet music, posters…. Wait a minute. That’s you on the poster. Big concerto for tomorrow nig… Oh!  That’s just sad. Maybe I can do something about that. Just have to find your violin.

My first solo, my turn to hypnotize people with my song, gone. The chance of a lifetime and my life ended before it.

- NO! No, no, no! This can’t be happening! Maybe, maybe it will still work.

Did something happen with the violin? What happened? Did, did… tears? Death has tears in her eyes? Is she holding…

- I found it like this, broken in half. I’m sorry. It’s still singing. Maybe if I tape it together it we can get your soul…

It’s okay Emily. It’s not your fault it’s broken. You don’t have to cry. Sometimes things don’t work according to plan and I presume the same is for the afterlife. Some things are just unavoidable and all we can do is just get up continue to move on, possibly stronger and better prepared than before. Don’t beat yourself up just because of what happened to me. Okay?

- Patting me on the head won’t make me feel any better about this. This shouldn’t have happened. Wait! What?

What?

- You moved! Oh my God, you moved! It worked. Even with the broken violin it worked. Your soul is whole again and you have a ghost-ish violin. Chic.

- I…

- Shhhh! No time to talk. We have to move fast. Follow me!

Where are you… this, this is the concert hall. She brought me to the concert hall and it’s full of souls? Ghosts? People?

- Em…

- I said no talking. This is all I could do in such a short time. When you’re ready go on stage and do your best. I’ll be right there in the audience rooting for you. 

You truly are full of surprises, Emily. The chance of a lifetime and you helped me fulfil my dream after I died. You are the most amazing and kind hearted person I have meet.

Thank you, blue haired girl!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

- Good evening, miss.

- Wazzup, Faust. Are you enjoying the concert?

- I must say that I do. Such a talented violinist. Quite a shame for a soul to know death at such a young age.

- It is. Can I ask you something?

- Always, miss.

- Is organizing this event against the rules?

- I’m afraid I must say it is. Similar to the case with the young married couple you let dance for centuries.

- Have a heart, dude. They deserved a little more time. It won’t take as long this time. Trust me.

- Taking into consideration the circumstances of how everything played out, we could let this one slide.

- If the Big Guy is okay with it, I won’t tell, if you won’t.

- Indeed, miss.

- How much time I have left to enjoy the music until the next job?

- The 'next job' as you put it, will be personally handled by mister Morningstar.

- Lucy? What’s he got to do with this?

- For one, he does owe you some free time and, as he blatantly put it, loves to punish people that are guilty of the sin of envy. Per my discussion with him, the next soul to have been collected was the soul of a rival violinist and the perpetrator of that heinous stabbing and destruction of violin.

- I could have handled that.

- We agreed it is better this way. We did not want a repeat of the last time.

- What happened last time?

- I’m afraid that is a tale for another time. Please do enjoy the remainder of the concerto.

- Promise you will tell me?

- My word is my bond.

- Pinky promise?

- Pinky promise, miss.